1. New Entry: Mansa Musa
2. What can a map tell us?
EQ: How do the West African kingdoms of
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai fit into our
model of a Golden Age?
By the end of class are objectives are to:
- describe how Sundiata and Mansa Musa
advanced Mali
- summarize how the Songhai Empire developed
and declined
Golden Age of Empire
Quiz – Thursday
Expository Essay – Friday
This lord is called Musa Mali, Lord
of Guinea. So abundant is the
gold which is found in his country
that he is the richest and most
noble king in all the land.
This region is occupied by people who veil
their mouths; one only sees their eyes. They
live in tents and have caravans of camels.
Mali:
• 1235: kingdom emerged
– New gold deposits caused trade routes to shift
eastward
• Sundiata – mansa (emperor)
– Conquered through war, ruled with peace
• Niani - center of commerce and trade
• Mansa Musa (r.1312 to 1332)
– Army of 100,000
– Appointed governors to rule provinces
– Hajj (1324)
• Timbuktu and Gao
– Mansa Musa built great mosques and universities
– Attracted Muslim judges, doctors, religious leaders,
and scholars
Trans-Saharan Trade
Ibn Battuta:
• African historian
• Traveled for 27 years
– visited most of the Islamic world
• In Mali
– Impressed by
• Study of the Qur’an
• Justice system
– Critical of
• Lack of strict adherence to Islam’s moral
code
Songhai:
• Lacked modern weapons
– Moroccans invaded with
gunpowder and cannons
• Collapse ended a 1,000-year period
of powerful West African kingdoms
Fill in
-3 speech bubbles,
-2 blanks,
-“next” section
proving your
understanding of
Mansa Musa
On the back: create document questions for this map.